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Attend Political Events

Town Hall Meetings, Candidate Forums and Debates, and News Conferences are great places for activism.

Here's How to Take Advantage of Town Meetings and other public appearances which are often arranged by your elected representatives or civic groups; and in election years by the various candidates and debates. You can learn about them on the representative's or candidate's websites/Facebook/Twitter/social media sites, mailings, in the media; or call their offices. Sign up at the websites of candidates and elected officials to receive emails or text messages and you will get advance notice of such meetings.

Put Them on the Spot: These meetings are an excellent opportunity to ask important questions in front of the media and other citizens. By publicly asking them about their stand on the issues, you can hold them accountable for their votes and put them on the spot if they do not want to take a stand or if they do not want their big-government votes known.

Know How They Vote: You can research their voting record in advance so you can ask why they voted liberal or to thank them for voting conservative. Thomas is a good starting place because it lists all recorded Congressional votes; though it doesn't analyze them for their effect so check with various conservative or even liberal groups who evaluate and rate Congressional votes.

Educate the Audience: You can hand out information about your issue to the people and media attending such meetings so more people will learn about it. Ask candidates or representatives to take a stand on the issues in our Federal and State candidate questionnaires. Ask if they will take a pledge to repeal ObamaCare, to block "cap and trade" energy taxes, to limit their terms, to never raise taxes, to stop illegal immigration/build the 2,000 mile fence, to stop the North American Union, or to stop funding abortions, as examples.

Make it Public: If they give you any answer, lock in their commitment or condemn their refusal by writing a letter to the editor of your local newspaper and calling local talk shows, and adding comments at newspaper sites/blogs/websites. "At a town hall meeting, Congressman Smith refused to support building a border fence to stop Mexican drug-gang violence." Email everyone you can as well. You may get a vague "we're studying it" answer or even have them try to ridicule you, but at least you've forced them to publicly avoid the question and you let them know people want an answer.

Record It! YouTube it! It's essential in today's world to take a video camera to all such events. You may get a valuable video to post on YouTube and to send to all local TV and radio stations (call or email them, tell them you've got a newsworthy video for them. Even a cell phone video can get the idea across if you can hear what the candidate or representative said. Sit close to the PA system speakers to pick up the sound better. In hotels the loudspeakers are often in the ceiling; scout them out before you sit down. Remember how videos from the 2009 & 2010 town hall meetings, as well as the ACORN Investigations, Joe the Plumber, and Obama bowing to foreign tyrants all made the news and got America talking? A video of the right moment is worth 1,000 pictures! Let's make 2011 and 2012 town halls make even more history.

Don't Let the Left Control the Meetings: As Congressmen have learned that real Americans come to these town hall meetings and protest their left-wing votes, they sometimes bus in leftists and government workers to create a facade of support. Don't give up, but match their numbers and make sure our side gets equal time at the microphone as do the planted supporters.

News Conferences: If you learn of a news conference by your elected official (or any government official--they all work for you), attend and ask the questions the liberal media won't dare ask. Some may restrict attendees to media with official credentials, but if you're a blogger, Facebook commentator or "youtuber," you ARE the real media today. News conferences rarely ask for ID, they usually just ask you to write your name and contact info on a sign-in sheet. Arrive in the rush just before starting if you want, and bring a video camera. With a laptop or smartphone, you can post the video right after the event.

"The people are the ultimate guardians of their own liberty" Thomas Jefferson